Decided to explore another country with the husband to kickoff our travels for 2019 together. This time, it was Saigon calling! My husband’s first time and the last time I stepped into Vietnam was in 2014 so I thought it was high time for a revisit. We caught a Saturday early morning flight on Scoot to Ho Chi Minh City with a return on a Public Holiday, Labour Day for SGD 170 per person. We spent 2 nights in HCMC and thereafter headed to Phu Quoc to idle another 2 nights before returning home. Domestic flights to get us to Phu Quoc was steep as our travel dates coincided with Vietnam’s Independence Day. We flew Jetstar and Vietnam Airlines respectively for our 45 min domestic flight each way.
HCMC
We stayed well within District 1 given we spent only 2 nights in HCMC. Silverland Sayko Hotel pleasantly surprised us with their warm welcome, great hospitality and excellent service rendered during our short stay with them. The minute you step into the hotel, you feel like you have stepped into a hotel in Japan. Everything feels homely and zen. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay with Silverland even despite the limited breakfast spread. 2 nights in the hotel costed us SGD 245.
Plenty of eateries to enjoy as well as cafes to spend quiet afternoons indoors away from the scorching sun. Some of our favourites during our time in HCMC was Workshop Coffee, Quan Bui, Pizza 4P’s as well as Propaganda Bistro. Pizza 4P’s pleasantly surprised us, as I had assumed it was one of those over-rated joints on Tripadvisor. Low behold it was definitely a meal not to be missed even though my time in HCMC was short. But, do note, reservations are needed despite the couple of different outlets they have around HCMC.
Hearty first meal at Quan Bui after catching an early flight from SG to HCMC
Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc is known to be the pearl island of Vietnam boasting it’s idyllic beaches and picturesque sunsets. Arriving in Phu Quoc Airport felt like a breeze. The air felt salty and my feet was itching to feel sand and the sea all at once. We picked a Deluxe Beach Bungalow with Pool at Novotel Resort for our 2 night stay despite the steep price. We had a private pool as well as our balcony views were greeted with a beach front view.
It was a relaxing 2 nights stay at Novotel with plenty of time spent in the waters to escape the heat as well as throng of people who decided to have a getaway during the long weekend holiday in Vietnam. 3 restaurants to dine at as well as 3 different pools to choose from. There is definitely plenty to do while staying within the resort. Perfect time relax and wind down as well as for families travelling with kids!
Apart from the resort itself, Phu Quoc to be honest was a let down as there weren’t too much activities to do. The main town, Duong Dong, definitely paled in comparison to the many different towns we have visited in the region. We were recommended by the staff of Novotel to check out the Cable Car right at the south of the island. But, the lack of enough shuttle bus timings to facilitate us heading there deterred us. We ended up spending all our time within the resort and concluding our Vietnam trip by catching our International flight within a span of 40 minutes from arriving at HCMC’s domestic terminal. Was definitely a miracle we made it despite check in counter closing! Definitely a travel story for the road!
solosingaporean 